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Zareshahrabadi Z, Amirzadeh N, Pakshir K, Nasr R, Mohammadi R, Zomorodian K. Evaluation of building washing machines as an extreme environment for potentially pathogenic fungi. Sci Rep 2023; 13:21408. [PMID: 38049507 PMCID: PMC10695939 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-48598-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Washing machines are commonly used in households and are considered indispensable appliances for maintaining cleanliness and hygiene. Environmental conditions within household washing machines are ideal for fungal colonization, which may pose risks to human health and contribute to sick building syndrome. This study aimed to investigate the fungal species contamination in the building washing machines. A total of 50 building washing machines were swab-sampled at three locations: the detergent drawer, the inner and outer parts of the rubber door seal. The housekeeping conditions of these appliances were assessed through a questionnaire. The isolated fungi were identified using standard mycological diagnostic procedures and molecular analysis based on the ITS1/ITS4 and β-tubulin gene regions. The possibility of fungal agents transferring from contaminated washing machines to autoclaved clothes during laundry cycles was investigated. Fungi were detected in 82% of the sampled appliances, with the inner rubber door seal being the most frequently colonized area. Using conventional and molecular techniques, we identified 122 fungal isolates, encompassing 17 diverse genera of molds, yeast-like, and yeast fungi. The mold fungi included 14 genera of hyaline and black genus. Among these, the most frequently identified genera of hyaline and black fungi were Aspergillus (27.7%), and Cladosporium (10.7%), respectively. This study demonstrates that building washing machines may serve as suitable ecological niches for fungal growth and transmission. Therefore, regular cleaning and disinfection of these devices are necessary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Zareshahrabadi
- Basic Sciences in Infectious Diseases Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Neda Amirzadeh
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Keyvan Pakshir
- Basic Sciences in Infectious Diseases Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Reza Nasr
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Rasoul Mohammadi
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Kamiar Zomorodian
- Basic Sciences in Infectious Diseases Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
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Motteu N, Goemaere B, Bladt S, Packeu A. Implementation of MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry to Identify Fungi From the Indoor Environment as an Added Value to the Classical Morphology-Based Identification Tool. FRONTIERS IN ALLERGY 2022; 3:826148. [PMID: 35386655 PMCID: PMC8974682 DOI: 10.3389/falgy.2022.826148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction During the last decades, molds in the indoor environment have raised concern regarding their potential adverse health effects. The genera Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Penicillium, Alternaria, and yeasts, the most common fungi found indoors, include species with high allergenic and toxigenic potentials. Identification of these molds is generally performed by microscopy. This method has, however, some limitations as it requires mycologists with high expertise while identification is often limited to the genus level. Therefore, it is necessary to seek for fast and accurate tools, such as Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDITOF MS), enabling an identification to the species level and guiding general practitioners in their search for the underlying cause of a health problem. Methods In this study, 149 fungal air and dust isolates from 43 dwellings in Brussels were taken in collaboration with Brussels Environment RCIB/CRIPI and identified by both microscopy and MALDI-TOF MS in Sciensano's Indoor Mycology laboratory. Spectra obtained via MALDI-TOF MS were compared with data available in an in-house created reference database containing over 1,700 strains from the BCCM/IHEM fungal collection. Results A total of 149 isolates including 18 yeasts and 131 filamentous fungi were analyzed. Microscopic analysis indicated 18 yeast species and allowed identification of 79 isolates (53%) to the genus level. Only 36 isolates (24%) could be identified to the species complex level. Fifteen molds (10%) could not be identified, and one was indicated as sterile mycelia. No isolate was identified to species level. MALDI-TOF MS analysis identified 137 (92%) of the 149 isolates with a logscore > 1.7. Of these 137 isolates, 129 (87%) were identified to the species level (logscore > 2.0). For only 8 isolates (5%), identification was limited to the genus/section level (1.7 < logscore <2.0), and 12 isolates (8%) could not be identified. Conclusion A comparison of results obtained with both methods indicates an increased precision in identifications with MALDI-TOF MS analysis for 92% of the isolates, emphasizing its highly added value to the standard microscopic analysis in routine practice. In addition, MALDI-TOF MS also enables to assess the accuracy of microscopic identifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natacha Motteu
- Mycology and Aerobiology, Sciensano, Brussels, Belgium
- *Correspondence: Natacha Motteu
| | | | - Sandrine Bladt
- Brussels Environment, Regional Intervention Cell for Indoor Pollution (RCIB/CRIPI), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ann Packeu
- Mycology and Aerobiology, Sciensano, Brussels, Belgium
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Omebeyinje MH, Adeluyi A, Mitra C, Chakraborty P, Gandee GM, Patel N, Verghese B, Farrance CE, Hull M, Basu P, Lee K, Adhikari A, Adivar B, Horney JA, Chanda A. Increased prevalence of indoor Aspergillus and Penicillium species is associated with indoor flooding and coastal proximity: a case study of 28 moldy buildings. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. PROCESSES & IMPACTS 2021; 23:1681-1687. [PMID: 34596193 DOI: 10.1039/d1em00202c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Indoor flooding is a leading contributor to indoor dampness and the associated mold infestations in the coastal United States. Whether the prevalent mold genera that infest the coastal flood-prone buildings are different from those not flood-prone is unknown. In the current case study of 28 mold-infested buildings across the U.S. east coast, we surprisingly noted a trend of higher prevalence of indoor Aspergillus and Penicillium genera (denoted here as Asp-Pen) in buildings with previous flooding history. Hence, we sought to determine the possibility of a potential statistically significant association between indoor Asp-Pen prevalence and three building-related variables: (i) indoor flooding history, (ii) geographical location, and (iii) the building's use (residential versus non-residential). Culturable spores and hyphal fragments in indoor air were collected using the settle-plate method, and corresponding genera were confirmed using phylogenetic analysis of their ITS sequence (the fungal barcode). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) using Generalized linear model procedure (GLM) showed that Asp-Pen prevalence is significantly associated with indoor flooding as well as coastal proximity. To address the small sample size, a multivariate decision tree analysis was conducted, which ranked indoor flooding history as the strongest determinant of Asp-Pen prevalence, followed by geographical location and the building's use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayomi H Omebeyinje
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Adewale Adeluyi
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Chandrani Mitra
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | | | | | | | - Bindhu Verghese
- Microbial Solutions, Charles River Laboratories, Newark, DE, USA
| | | | - Matthew Hull
- NanoSafe, Inc., Blacksburg, VA, USA
- Virginia Tech National Center for Earth and Environmental Nanotechnology Infrastructure (NanoEarth), Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science (ICTAS), Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Paramita Basu
- Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, Touro College of Pharmacy, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kwonmoo Lee
- Vascular Biology Program and Department of Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Atin Adhikari
- Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA, USA
| | - Burcu Adivar
- Broadwell College of Business and Economics, Fayetteville State University, NC, USA.
| | | | - Anindya Chanda
- Broadwell College of Business and Economics, Fayetteville State University, NC, USA.
- Mycologics LLC, Alexandria, VA, USA.
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MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry–based identification of Eurotiales from different substrates and locations in Brazil. Mycol Prog 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s11557-021-01691-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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Andersen B, Frisvad JC, Dunn RR, Thrane U. A Pilot Study on Baseline Fungi and Moisture Indicator Fungi in Danish Homes. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:jof7020071. [PMID: 33498446 PMCID: PMC7909426 DOI: 10.3390/jof7020071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Revised: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
In many complaint cases regarding bad indoor environments, there is no evidence of visible fungal growth. To determine if the problems are fungi-related, dust sampling is the method of choice among building surveyors. However, there is a need to differentiate between species belonging to a normal, dry indoor environment and species belonging to a damp building envelope. The purposes of this pilot study were to examine which fungal species are present in problem-free Danish homes and to evaluate different detection and identification methods. Analyses showed that the fungal diversity outside was different from the diversity inside and that the composition of fungal species growing indoors was different compared to those found as spores, both indoors and outdoors. Common for most homes were Pseudopithomyceschartarum, Cladosporiumallicinum and Alternaria sect. Infectoriae together with Botrytis spp., Penicilliumdigitatum and Pen. glabrum. The results show that ITS sequencing of dust samples is adequate if supported by thorough building inspections and that food products play as large a role in the composition of the baseline spora as the outdoor air and surrounding vegetation. This pilot study provides a list of baseline fungal species found in Danish homes with a good indoor environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Birgitte Andersen
- Division of Energy Efficiency, Indoor Climate and Sustainability of Buildings, Department of the Built Environment, Aalborg University, A.C. Meyers Vænge 15, DK-2450 Copenhagen SV, Denmark
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +45-9940-2312
| | - Jens C. Frisvad
- Section for Synthetic Biology, Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts Plads 221, DK-2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark;
| | - Robert R. Dunn
- Department of Applied Ecology, Campus Box 7617, NC State University Campus, Raleigh, NC 27695-7617, USA;
| | - Ulf Thrane
- Wood and Biomaterials, Building and Construction, Danish Technological Institute, Gregersensvej 1, DK-2630 Taastrup, Denmark;
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Madsen AM, Frederiksen MW, Jacobsen MH, Tendal K. Towards a risk evaluation of workers' exposure to handborne and airborne microbial species as exemplified with waste collection workers. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 183:109177. [PMID: 32006769 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.109177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2019] [Revised: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/22/2020] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Bioaerosol exposure is associated with health problems. The aim of this study is to evaluate whether it is possible to assess the risks posed by waste collection workers' exposure through identification and characterization of bacterial and fungal species, to which the workers are exposed. Using MALDI-TOF MS, microorganisms in waste collection workers' exposure through air, hand, and contact with the steering wheel were identified. Fungi found in high concentrations from the workers' exposure were characterized for the total inflammatory potential (TIP), cytotoxicity, and biofilm-forming capacity. In total, 180 different bacterial and 37 different fungal species in the workers' exposure samples were identified. Some of them belong to Risk Group 2, e.g. Escherichia coli, Klebsiella oxytoca, Staphylococcus aureus, and Aspergillus fumigatus, some have been associated with occupational health problems e.g. Penicillium citrinum and P. glabrum and some are described as emerging pathogens e.g. Aureobasidium pullulans. The TIP of fungal species was dose-dependent. High TIP values were found for Penicillium italicum, P. brevicompactum, P. citrinum, and P. glabrum. Several species were cytotoxic, e.g. A. niger and P. expansum, while some, e.g. P. chrysogenum, did not affect the cell viability. Based on waste workers' average inhalation rate, they inhaled up to 2.3 × 104 cfu of A. niger, 7.4 × 104 cfu of P. expansum, and 4.0 × 106 cfu of P. italicum per work day. Some species e.g. A. niger and P. citrinum were able to form biofilm. In conclusion, the workers were exposed to several species of microorganisms of which some to varying degrees can be evaluated concerning risk. Thus, some microorganisms belong to Risk Group 2, and some are described as causing agents of occupational health problems, emerging pathogens, or intrinsically antibiotic resistant. For some other species very little is known. The TIP, cytotoxicity, and ability to form biofilm of the dominating fungi support and expand previous findings. These parameters depended on the species and the dose, thus highlighting the importance of species identification and exposure level in the risk assessment of exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Mette Madsen
- The National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Lersø Parkallé 105, DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Margit W Frederiksen
- The National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Lersø Parkallé 105, DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mikkel Hyldeqvist Jacobsen
- The National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Lersø Parkallé 105, DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kira Tendal
- The National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Lersø Parkallé 105, DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
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